Avatar Orchestra Metaverse

The Avatar Orchestra Metaverse(AOM), formed in March, 2007, is a globally dispersed collective of composers, musicians and media artists working in the virtual online environment Second Life. AOM investigates and exposes new possibilities for developing audiovisual works that challenge conventional practices of creating, performing and listening to music.

With members spread over 3 continents, AOM explores the nuances of identity and the communicative possibilities that are opened through real time telematic connection within a virtual audiovisual environment. Within AOM, a new kind of listening is unfolded; inviting subtle yet powerful mind connections made audible within a rich and wildly varying sonic world. AOM’s ‘instruments’ are created within the Second Life environment, making it possible for each performer in the Orchestra to trigger sounds independent from one another and to play together in real time. These instruments feature sounds, visuals, and animations. A performance of a jumping, hovering, floating and twirling Avatar Orchestra Metaverse is a truly spectacular event.

AOM members are located in Europe, North America and Asia. Since its beginnings in early 2007, AOM has created and performed over 20 audiovisual works screened live at music and media events in France, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Italy, Holland, Canada and the United States. Composers represented to date include Bjorn Eriksson (Sweden); Leif Inge (Norway); Andreas Mueller and Shintaro Miyazaki (Germany); Biagio Franca (Italy); Viv Corringham, Norman Lowrey, Pauline Oliveros and Tim Rischer (USA); and Tina Pearson, Erik Rzepka, Liz Solo and Jeremy Owen Turner (Canada). AOM has also performed in collaboration with musicians playing live in the non-virtual world: Tinntinnabulate (Troy, NY, USA), Franziska Schroeder (Belfast, Ireland) and Anne Bourne and Christine Duncan (Toronto, Canada) among others.